Mechanism for self-service merchandising of liquids



Odi. 29, 1935. Y T- C; `SPELUMG A 2,018,877

MECHANISM FOR SELF SERVICE MERCHANDISING 0F LIQUIDS Filed Maron 2o, 1935 rml ..3323 ,H'lllh,I Mmmm 25 W ,ey 34 f6 Patented Oct. 29, 1935 s'rAT PATENT GFFICE MECHANISM FOR SELF-SERVICE MIER- CHANDISING OF LIQUIDS Thomas C. Spelling, New York, N. Y.

Application March 20, 1935, Serial No. 11,993

2 Claims.

5 the purposes of my improvement are the provision of facilities which dispense with the personal service of salesmen in the process of delivery and paying the stated price therefor, thus promoting economy and convenience of both owner and buyers, also reducing and limiting cost of manufacture and installation.

Although the mechanism is adaptable to general sales of merchandise, including all foods, yet that herein described is especially projected for sales of liquids in containers.

I consummate the aforesaid purposes by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a top view of all the operative parts, constituting, and hereinafter designated as the coin conductor. This gure also illustrates the ooring of a compartment equipped With the coin conductor. The roof of the compartment is broken out to render the view practicable. Being a top view, the walls cannot be here shown; but trenches in which they aresupported are shown; also the complete mechanism of operative parts; also a cavity and an interior smaller cavity in the floor, and trenches leading into and out of each.

Figure 2 is a side view of all parts of the coin conductor visible when all parts are in place, the double-riveted wall, in that case, intervening and rendering invisible, in a side view, the parts of the coin conductor inside the compartment, exhibiting also a support for the coin conductor.

Figure 3 is a side view of the part of the coin conductor which is hidden from View in Figure 2. The connecting bar to join the two parts is shown broken oif; also, an intermediate portion of the coin channel. This figure also exhibits in close relation to the rear free end of the channel a signal, which, in emplacement, is supported on the oor of the compartment, and which is actuated by the channel.

Figure 4 is a frontal view of the door, in emplacement, hinged to the roof and resting on the floor of a compartment; also of a coin slot. This figure also exhibits fragmentary extensions of flooring, thus illustrating the relation of the compartment here illustrated to other units of the system. v

Figure 5 is a View of the door facing, showing an opening therein suitable for engaging a shoulder on the detent of the coin conductor.

Figure 6 shows, in perspective alternative, a common, in lieu of a combination wall.

In what follows of the description, similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. It is obvious and, I might say, self 5 evident that the mechanized compartment illustrated in the drawing is merely one unit in a system which may comprise many such units. There must be a basic support for aggregates of rows of compartments, one above another. Sup- 10 posing such base has been provided under the bottom row, then no vertical or other separate support is needed; the rows will rest securely, one above another, all walls intrenched in a floor,

constituting tiers of rows extended upward, but 15'y not so high as to be beyond the reach of an average person. The form of such basic support 1s common knowledge of all who have patronized or visited the self-service automatic devices now in use. It may, however, be mentioned that constituting part of the basic support, and concealed from the casual observer, are shelves used to receive and hold the varied articles of merchandise dealt in by the proprietor of the particular mechanism. From these, the compartments are replenished as becomes necessary.

We stand now at the door space looking inside,

facing the rear. A fully equipped unit of the system is seen. Let it be noted that it is neither the indicated compartment to the right, nor that to the left which we show equipped with this device, but the central compartment in front of us. A small part of the right hand compartment is occupied by the detent of a coin conductor, as will be the left-hand side ofthe illustrated unit, in a completed system, in which all adjoining compartments will be appropriately equipped. f After the initial row of `compartments is emplaced on the basic support, each trenched element (which we will, for present purpose, suppose is an'elongated wooden board) will function doubly; that is, it will serve as a roof of a nether, and floor for a superimposed row, or tier, of compartments.

In Figure 2, the door, I4, is shown in place and 45 in locked engagement with a shoulder, 26, on the detent, 25. There is .seen an obliquely formed opening, I5, therein adapted to receivel and retain in locked relation the aforesaid shoulder, 26, also seen in Figure 4.

The coin conductor, comprising the detent, 25, the connecting bar, I3, and the coin channel, 40, is supported on a slender, round axle, 39, which is itself supported on the upright, I6, extended from its support in the substance yof the floor, I2, 55

` ed, if that be found necessary as indicated in Figure 4, the interior area. of the door is made of glass, or other translucent substance, the obvious purpose of which is to enable the customer to note whether the compartment contains the article of merchandise sought by him or is empty prior to depositing his coin or coins.

In a suitable opening in the detent is axled the roller, 26, slightly obliqued to conform to the slightly circular movement of the free end of the detent in operation, wherein the roller contacts with the acute, upwardly and outwardly extended edge of the cam, 2l. 'Ihe cam is also slightly slanted away from the door.

When the coin channel, 4I), is at rest in emplacement, the interior, at its initial terminal, 22, corelates with the slot, 23, through the door. When the channel is actuated by the movement, weight and leverage of a coin, or coins, the corelation is temporarily interrupted; the initial terminal rises. But when the coin (for instance a nickel, 24) has completed its journey, has pulled down the channel, and has been removed by an attendant, all parts react; the superior weight of the detent, 25, causes it to descend to the horizontal position from which it arose; the thin, interposed spring portion, 2l, yields in the upward movement, and then pushes the detent back to the wall, I8, causing the shoulder, 26, to reenter the cavity in the door facing, from which it was lifted in upwardmovement of the parts. The same reaction of the parts brings the initial terminal of the coin channel and its interior back into corelation with the slot, 23, in the door, I4, which coincidentally has been, after pulling it open, released by the customer and has fallen back into relooking relation to the shoulder, 25.

The spring, 21, connects twopar/ts of the detent, being slotted into two adjacent ends. In the trenches are supported the walls, 28, riveted in combination with the rivets, 4I. They extend uninterruptedly from front to rear. (Note that 28 designates walls riveted together, individual Walls being I8.)

The signal, 42, is formed with a straight arm and a rear portion, the latter bent around and under the rear end of the floor, I2. A small transverse bar is attached to the end of the straight arm to facilitate engagement in operation with the vertically descending end of the coin channel, 4U. The relative positions of the two parts is s hown in Figure 3, where the signal is shown attached to its support, the support shown supported in a fragment of the floor.

To the terminal of the bent portion of the signal is attached the card or flag, 31| on which may be printed or written the name of the particular liquid contained in the particular compartment where it is used. In operation, the end of the coin channel strikes down the arm, throwing the bent part, carrying the card or flag out from under the floor and into view of the attendant stationed behind the mechanical installation.

Obviously, when the other parts react, upon removal of coin, the superior weight of the bent portion will cause the signal also to react, so that the card or flag will be again hidden beneath the floor.

In Figure 1 is seen the outlines of the circular 4 cavity, 32, in the frontal area of the floor, and

of an interior smaller cavity, 33. Also, are there seen th'e trenches, 34 and 35. The former extends in the ooring from end to end of each row or tier of compartments in which it is formed, into 'and out of each of the larger cavities, while trenches 35 only extend into and out of the smaller of the cavities. The obvious purpose of the smaller interior cavity is to form a pool, constantly replenished, under and around the base of containers set up in the larger cavities. At the initial en-d of a row of compartments will be stationed a container of water, col-d or hot according to the needs of each case. In the bases of the walls, notches, at II, will be made to avoid obstructions to the flow of water; also, the trenches and cavities will be lined with tin or other impervious substance to preserve temperatures. Where trench, 34, reaches the longitudinal trenches at the notches, II, a conduit, 43, is inserted between parts, to prevent interruption of the ow of water. From the container will flow, through suitable vent, a stream of the water into the aforesaid trench. It will not be necessary to lower the emptying end of the row of compartments for the purpose of maintaining a continuous flow through horizontal trenches. will suffice to provide a fall of the water at the end opposite the end of each row at which the container is positioned.

In Figure 3 are shown transverse slittings, 36,

in the coin channel; and in that slit at the exlirnately equal in downward pull force that of the nickel, for the quarter is two grams heavier than the nickel; if its progress be arrested by the check bar being moved from where it appears in the drawing to the next slitting to the left, 'the downward pull will be approximately the same with the quarter as with the nickel. Additional illustrations that might be given with multiples of these coins and other coins, their respective movements arrested by the check bar between other slittings appears to be unnecessary.

Very few words additional to what precedes need be used. It may, however, be properly remarked that the plan here presented is so free from friction in use that the mechanism can properly be compared to apothecarys scales To secure perfect unlocking and relooking engagement, a short portion of the detent will necessarily rest against the wall, I8, but as both these members will be manufactured from, or coated with, smooth metal, that friction will be negligible and even the negligible friction may be almost completely abolished by placing a small disk or collar of tin or brass around the axle, between the detent and wall. Though not absolutely relevant, it may be properly suggested that, in order that the `detents and coin channels may not interfere with the deposit and removal of articles of merchandise, in use, a thin strip of sheet metal may be bent around these parts and scotched into interior junctions of floors, roofs and walls, The detents and channels are close to the walls; so that the inner bulge of such strips will occupy so little space, and occupy it at such points that their presence will cause little, if any, inconvenience.

A cavity, 38, may be made in the upper portion of the detent in which can be deposited small leaden shots or slugs to increase the weight of the detent in trial balancing when found necessary; likewise, these can be removed to restore balances when without them the proper balance is found.

Once the proper size, weight and dimensions of parts are ascertained by the manufacturer, and standardized, no mechanical problem will remain to be solved.

In addition to its novelty, there will be found in the slitting spacing of the coin channel and use of the check bar a large utility. Only the one form need be manufactured for all the limited number of sums to be deposited through the slot. The determination of the positions of the check bar will depend, in each instance, upon the dimensions of the coins used. The irregularity of the spacing-the irregularity having a denite purpose-constitutes a novelty, notwithstanding that ordinarily spacing is destitute of novelty. Here one space is three-quarters of an inch for a nickel; then, one inch for a quarter of a dollar; then, one and one-half inches for two nickels, etc.

In Figure 6 is shown an alternative common wall which may be substituted for the combination wall. Appears there laterally extended lobes, 30, formed at the top andbottom with screw or nail holes for attaching to oor and roof, respectively. But there are various other ways for attaching it and thus securing steadiness of the units in the combination of compartments. The separate metallic roofing for each compartment, underlying the oors, which are in the preceding description integrated with the combination walls, 28, are here dispensed with, resulting in great saving in cost of manufacture. In the combination wall formula, units of each row are otherwise securely bound together; that is to say, double wall combinations, 28, are intrenched between the units, and opposite integers-by which I mean individual walls |8-of each combination is joined to another and extended horizontally against and beneath the flooring. There might be further simplification.

For instance, intermediate walls could be dispensed with and bare supports substituted.

In the alternative formula, where the use is such as to require it, an impervious thin covering may be laid on the common supporting walls, against and coextensively with the flooring; and 10 suitably fastened therebetween.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a mechanism for self-service merchandising of liquids a compartment, a door for said compartment, a pivoted detent for locking said door, means for releasing said detent comprising a channeled lever operably connected to and counterweightin-g said detent, means for introducing a coin into the channel of said lever, said detent being formed in two portions, a spring member connecting said detent portions and holding said detent in locking engagement with said door, a cam, and a cam follower mounted upon one portion of said detent, said cam and cam follower coacting to force said detent out of locking engagement with said door upon movement of said detent responsive to the weight of a coin in said channeled lever.

2. In a mechanism for self-service merchandising of liquids comprising rows of adjacent compartments bound together through intervening walls, the combination of a coin controlled mechanism including a channeled lever, witha signalling device for each compartment, the same attached to and supported on the rear portion of the compartment, each signalling device formed with a straight arm so positioned as to be struck and carried downward with the rear terminal vof said channeled lever, in its descent, and a bent portion, a card or flag mounted on said bent portion, the bent portion and the straight arm being so related and connected that the depression of the straight arm by the lever exposes the card or flag prominently to view, the said card or ila-g adapted to be substantially hidden under the flooring upon release of said arm upon ascent of the channeled lever.

THOMAS C. SPELLING. 

